


saw the world for what it was [REQUIEM SERIES 1]

by arashiis



Series: REQUIEM [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Autistic Keith (Voltron), Bilingual Character(s), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fix-It, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Has ADHD, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Reincarnation, Season/Series 01, Slow Burn, Trans Female Pidge | Katie Holt, Trans Lance (Voltron), tags will be updated over time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23790208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arashiis/pseuds/arashiis
Summary: At sixteen years old, life isn’t going so well for Jaden - and the car accident that kills him only makes things worse. Of all the things he expected to be thrown into after death, Voltron wasn’t one of them, but he’s not exactly complaining.All in all, life is okay. And with all this time left on the Castle of Lions, there’s nothing left to do but look dead ahead and charge on.What’s left to lose, after all?
Relationships: Hunk (Voltron) & Original Character(s), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) & Original Character(s), Pidge (Voltron) & Original Character(s), Shiro (Voltron) & Original Character(s), Voltron Paladins & Original Character(s)
Series: REQUIEM [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741030
Kudos: 4





	1. i | What A Lovely Day To Be Killed!

**Author's Note:**

> potential trigger warnings include a non-graphic car/truck accident, in the part beginning with ‘i ended up taking the long way home’. skip to the next star break if you don’t want to see that.  
> wHOOO okay let’s just get into it, i hope you have fun reading.  
> EDIT: changed the title because i’m an indecisive hoe

[Jaden]

You know that thing people say when they piss you off - 'die mad about it'?  
Well. I did. I died mad that I didn't think about what I was doing the day I kicked the bucket.  
Take it from me - think before you do. Think very carefully about everything you do, because if you don't you'll end up like me, with the last words 'oh, shit' written on your tombstone.  
I can’t remember much about my previous life - what I did remember was blurry and slow, like one of those old early 2000's videos - but it was definitely there, I suppose. What made me so annoyed with it was that I was so average. Straight Bs and Cs in class. Around a 4/10 in looks. Boring personality and hobbies. Maybe that's what drove me to do what I did - the desire, the overpowering want to be more than nothing, something that wasn't inferior.  
Something that wasn't me.

It happened when I was sixteen. I was on my way back from school like usual - Set It Off's Wolf In Sheep's Clothing blasting from my headphones, sandy-blond hair rustling comfortably in the afternoon breeze. 

The route I always took was a convenient one. The back alleys of my home area were quiet, mostly free of any usual criminal activity that plagued the city. Nothing to see, nothing to tell. Nothing to get my tiny, 5”3” ass involved in - of course, there was the occasional gang beating up some poor soul, but if you knew what was good for you, you'd turn a blind eye to it, give nothing more than a curt nod if you saw the victim or attacker in public. That was the usual practice here. 

Turning the corner, I glance up from my phone to find myself in front of the local cafe, a fairly quiet and small building. The aroma of coffee and desserts travel to my nose, and I sigh wistfully. Pushing the door open, I'm met with the owner.

"Jaden! How've you been, son?" His lips curve in a crooked smile. "Exams treating you well?"

Michael is a tall, middle-aged man, with a thin figure that towers over me when I look up. His salt-and-pepper hair hangs limply in front of his eyes, but that doesn't let people miss the twinkle in them. He has a soft spot for kids from my school, probably because we're practically his only customers. (I can't see why. Good coffee and cake, near empty most of the time, and he'll even let you use the piano in the corner if you ask nicely.)

"Not that bad, I guess." I drag myself to the counter with a sluggish groan. "I definitely flunked on English and Chemistry, no doubt there."

"What about Maths? Ah, come on, I know you've been studying, you must have done well."

"About as well as you'd expect from a kid that pulled an all-nighter with nothing but caffeine...?"

Michael tuts, looking back at me disapprovingly. "You children and your studies. Really, I don't see why those old farts up at the academy give you additional homework when you're already laden with all this!"

"Boomers will be boomers," I mutter, pulling a couple of coins from my pocket. Michael's already finished the whipped cream on my usual mocha, now pouring a probably unhealthy amount of chocolate syrup on the top. "Am I allowed to use the piano after I'm finished?"

"And miss the chance to hear you play?" He slides the glass over, along with a small cinnamon bun, and rests his chin on his bony knuckles. "I will request one Moonlight Sonata, if it's not too much trouble."

Let me tell you now; nothing is more relaxing than sitting back and relaxing in your favourite coffee shop, fingers dancing along the keys like there's no one else in the world. Nothing can make me feel better than drumming out the melody to my new favourite piece - I spend entire school days with my fingers twitching, practically itching to stroke the keys, to fill the air with stories that words can't tell.

Moonlight Sonata is one of Michael's favourites. Back when he was my age, he used to take lessons from his music teacher because of how much he loved the sound of the piano - but then she retired unexpectedly, and there was no one else around that could teach him, so he ended up just buying a collection of music records instead, which are hung on the wall across from me.

I hum, staring at them for a few moments after the song has ended, and retreat my hands to rest them in my lap. 

"Jaden." I glance up - Michael snaps me out of my previous trance, leaning on the doorway with a mug of cocoa in his hand. "Why don't you pursue a career in music?"

The concept seems almost laughable. "I can't make a living out of playing the piano, Michael. It's just a hobby."

"Nonsense, that's what you're talking. Listen, a friend of mine - Sylvia, you know her - she caught word of a contest being held, at the theater on the other side of town. The prize for winning is a scholarship at Octave Performing Arts."

My eyes practically bulge out of their sockets as Michael passes me a flyer, bright with oversaturated colours. Octave Performing Arts is a university in the next town over, that only a few lucky people can make their way into.

"Any performance talent is fair game, huh?" I sigh. "So I'd probably be going up against trapeze artists and shit like that, not just musicians."

"Language, young man. And, well, yes. But anyone can see how much energy and emotion you put into your performances - you should see yourself when you're playing." Michael gives me a sad little smile. "It's a contrast from your usual self, all quiet and restrained as you are."

I stare down at the flyer for a moment before pulling my bag from under the table. "I'll think about it," I reply reluctantly.

"That's good. Now, why don't you run on home? I'm sure you need a pretty long rest after those exams today, hm?"

【✮】

I end up taking the long way home. The wind has picked up by now, and I find myself stepping in a couple of puddles that have collected during the day - it's still drizzling, but I can't be bothered to pull out my umbrella. My hoodie's good enough.  
The rains drips onto the paper, getting it all wet at the corners. When I go to zip my bag open, the wind tears it from my fist and whips it along the street, flying just overhead a tall girl's ponytail.

"Hey, can you get that for me-!"

She watches the paper fly past her distastefully, not even making an attempt to move, and turns her eyes back to her phone. Bitch, I think absently.

Sprinting into the road and snatching the flyer up, I run my eyes over the bright, flashy lettering and exhale. It's not completely ruined, just a little wet and ripped at the sides.

"Jeez, fucking thing..." I crouch down in the middle of the road and stuff it into my bag, frowning at it. "Mind not flying off next time?"

"Hey, hey!"

I look up, resting my eyes on the tall, ponytailed girl that ignored me. She's pointing frantically, face contorted in panic.

"Get out of the road!" She screams.

I blink, turning my head to look at where she's pointing - it's a truck, speeding towards me at an alarming rate.

And I can't move out of the way fast enough, so I settle for closing my eyes and muttering my last words.

"Shit."

And it hits me.

Let me tell you - that stuff they tell you about your life flashing before your eyes before you die? Total crap. The only thing flashing in front of me was my off-brand Yu-Gi-Oh! phone charm as it hit the pavement.

Red-hot and biting, bitter cold pain courses through my body all at once, and I can't tell how long it lasts. When it ends, though, I'm left with an overwhelming relief and a vague, soft voice that might've been mine, might've been someone else's - it feels quiet, faraway, and yet simultaneously blaring, practically shattering my eardrums.

"Patient is male, in his teens..."

"Hello, sweetheart? Can you tell us your name?"

My name is...Jaden Walker. I'm sixteen years old. 

I find myself getting a little bit annoyed at whoever was overseeing me. They should let me die already. This is too tiring.

My name is Jaden Walker. I'm sixteen years old.  
My name is Jaden Walker. I'm sixteen years old.

Actually, shouldn't it be a little more flashy? I mean, whether I'm going to heaven or hell, I need a good introduction either way. Throw open the doors with a cheer - 'Hey, Satan! You called for me?'  
My name is Jaden-  
Then, all at once, it comes crashing down - breathing, seeing, hearing, feeling - oh, god, feeling, feeling a masochistic pleasure in the pain of taking that first shuddering heap of oxygen.

My name is Jaden Walker. I'm sixteen years old.  
And this is the story of how I didn't die.

【✮】

[Pidge]

"Man, that was cool!"

Lance punched the air enthusiastically. "I'm so charged up, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight!"

"Not me. When my head hits the pillow, it's gonna be lights out," Keith said, punctuating the last word with a flick of the wrist. 

"I just want you to know that I realized when we were in Voltron, we're brothers, man. You know?" Hunk sniffled, pushing himself inbetween Lance and Keith. "Like, we're totally connected. No secrets, no barriers, no nothing. Brothers all the way. I love you guys."

"G-forces mess with your head a little bit?"

"Yeah, maybe a little. I-I don't know. It's been a tough few days," he mumbled.

As Shiro turned to leave, he took a last glance at the remaining Green Paladin.

"Going to bed, Pidge?"

"In a minute."

"Good work today." He gave her a gentle smile. "We're really coming together."

And with that, Shiro slid the door shut, leaving Pidge frowning at a flimsy photograph of herself and Matt. She hummed quietly.

"I'll find you guys," she murmured. "I'll travel to the edges of the universe if it means I can see you again."

She stood up to leave, but as soon as her back was turned there was a flash that illuminated the room with cold blue light, too bright to look at.  
When it faded, it left a very uncertain silence...and a boy, unconscious and cradling his injuries.

Pidge blinked.

"Uh, guys?" She swallowed down the confusion that was building in her throat. "If it's not too much trouble, could you come on down to the bridge? I think you might want to see this."

【✮】

[Jaden]

The first thing I'm aware of is light. I know, totally cliche. It wasn't what people normally said, though - not really a light at the end of a tunnel, more...artificial.  
The first breath I take in my new life tastes like cleaning supplies and chemicals, bitter at the back of my throat. The fumes make me fall to my hands and knees and retch violently, but there's nothing to come up.  
When that fun experience is over, I groan inwardly, feeling brightness burn against my eyelids. Fucking hospitals. An overly friendly voice reassures me, rubbing my back. "Oh, hey! You awake now?"

"Motherfucker," I hiss weakly, falling into warm, tanned arms.

"Ooh, quiznack." Whoever this doctor is, I'm wondering how he got his degree. My vision flickers blearily, showing a blur of brown hair. "Okay, buddy, up we come - ow, that's my foot!"

That shout is enough to jolt me out of my drowsy state, making me wrench myself from the person's grip and promptly topple back onto cold, hard floor.  
Did I hear that right? Quiznack?

"Woah, woah, woah! Chill out for a sec!" He laughs, placing both hands in front of him as if to defend himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Taking a minute to breathe, I survey the guy in front of me. Brown hair and skin, a sharp jawline and an infuriating grin that kind of makes me want to strangle him.

"You're not a doctor. You're not - wait, who are you!?"

"Uh..." His grin drooped, and he mumbled something in Spanish under his breath. "Just try to calm down, okay? You look really dizzy."

My eyes travel over him - over his blue and white shirt, his white hoodie, green jacket, blue jeans. Lance McClain's outfit and appearance, down to a T.

"You're not real," I whisper, my eyes widening. "I'm not - I'm not supposed to be here..."

Lance arches an eyebrow in confusion, but shakes it away quickly and places a consoling hand on my shoulder. 

"Hey, man, it's okay - I mean, popping into a castle in space out of nowhere probably isn't okay, but...Actually, you know what? Let's go get something to eat, and I'll contact the others while we're at it - I bet you're starving."

"I'm not," I protest. "I don't want something to eat. I wanna know why I'm not dead."

"Can't really answer that, buddy." And there's that annoying chuckle erupting from Lance's lips again. I have to seriously restrain my hands to stop myself from throwing them around his stupid throat. 

"Fine. Okay, new question. How'd I end up-" I gesture wildly to the room around me, seeing the familiar healing and cryo pods that shouldn't even exist-"in this place!? I was hit by a goddamn truck, I should either be in a hospital or hell-"

"Look, you really gotta calm down," he insists, his tone pleading. "None of us know how you got here, we were kind of hoping you could answer that. Just...trust me for now, okay?" Lance holds out his hand. "What's your name?"

I eye Lance silently, weighing up whether I should go with him.

I know Voltron. I've watched the series from start to finish multiple times, and while it's not like I could recite the entire series from start to finish, I know enough to get through the series without too much trouble, if that's what's really happening here.

The best case scenario was this - I exist as a side character, and go on my merry way, being as inconspicuous as possible. I had almost unlimited knowledge of everything that would happen, and - if I played my cards correctly - no reason for the Galra to target me. All I had to do was play the totally not-suspicious amnesiac, try not to affect the main storyline too much, and bingo. I might not die again. This is a second chance, I realise.

Whatever deity from above shoved me into my favourite show, I'll make sure to sacrifice you something nice later on, I think.

"...I'm Jaden," I reply cautiously, taking his hand. "Jaden Walker."

"Well, Jaden, I'm Lance." The Cuban boy gives me a warm smile, pulling me to my feet. "And welcome aboard the Castle of Lions."

【✮】

"And there's Keith - he's an ass - but he pilots the Red Lion, which makes up the left arm."

I nod hurriedly. As we walk to wherever we're going, probably the bridge or the lounge, Lance is giving me an overview of the paladins' current situation - which, of course, I knew absolutely nothing about, of course, what would I know? - and reenacting some battle scenes as best he could with Altean cutlery. 

"And...you said something about a Shiro, earlier, right?"

"Oh, yeah! You've gotta know who he is, he's a piloting legend. The guy's my hero - anyway, he's the black paladin, and his lion makes up the torso and head." Lance pokes at the air with an oddly shaped butter knife, making 'pew, pew' noises. "You ever heard of the Kerberos mission?"

I shrug, smiling politely. Luckily Lance carries the majority of conversation without even meaning to, so I didn't have much to make up or lie about. "I think so. Wasn't it a moon, or something like that they went to?"

"Yeah, that's right. He went with two others, and they didn't come back, so everyone thought they were dead - but then, a year later, he turned up in this escape pod. Me, Pidge and Hunk went to see what was up, 'cuz the Garrison set off an alarm for all students to stay in their dorms-"

"And you snuck out?" I allow myself a small grin as Lance nods rapidly.

"Yeah!" He says. "Well, when you put it that way it sounds bad, but - then we went down and gave Shiro a hand." Lance pauses with a horrified expression, stopping in the middle of the corridor. "Oh, god. Don't tell him I said that."

It takes an ungodly amount of self-control not to fall to the ground laughing. "Why?"

"Uh, well - his hand, it's..." He demonstrates by clenching and unclenching his fist. "So, uh...you know those Galra guys I talked about? They kind of replaced his arm with this prosthetic thingy."

I winced sympathetically. "Yikes. So, I probably shouldn't ever ask him if he needs a hand?"

"...probably not, no. But yeah, we kind of rescued him - oh, Keith was there too, I guess, but whatever-" I snicker at that. "-so we ended up hitching a ride on his hoverbike to go to find the Blue Lion, and guess who ended up piloting it?" He points a finger at himself, grinning gleefully. "This paladin right here!"

"Sounds a lot to do in just one night.” I'm half tempted to ask to see the lions right away, but I know that'll just make Lance suspicious. "And you said it led you to this place, and apparently ran into an alien princess, or something...?" I sound unconvinced, which I think will piss him off a little bit. 

"What, you don't believe me?" Lance gives me an offended look.

"It's not that. It's just a little overwhelming, y'know? One day I'm doing whatever, and the next I find out 'hey, aliens exist'! And they're apparently in the middle of an intergalactic war, which is..." I trail off. "Sorry, guess I got a little weird there for a second. You were saying something about...Alteans, right?"

"Yeah, Allura's really nice. Definitely into me, I'm telling you! Coran, he's, uh...well, interesting, I guess?" And Lance launches into another conversation with me, explaining how they ended up in the Castle of Lions on Arus, how they found the other lions, et cetera - based on the line of things right now, I'd estimate we were probably on Episode 3. They hadn't left the planet yet, and apparently most of the others were out with the Arusians - Pidge and Shiro were doing something else.

"Yeah, while you were zonked out they helped the prisoners into an escape pod with food and water, and then left me on my own to watch over you," he explains. "Coran's been bugging me for hours."

So if Lance was here, and the others were back at the Arusian village, that meant it wouldn't be long until the Galra beast showed up, right? Loverboy Lance needed to get the fuck out of here and back to the others.

"Uh, so..." I fiddled with my fingers. "Where are we actually going? Are we going to see the..." I pause. My voice falters as we pass our reflections in some kind of metal. "...others..."

It takes me a minute to get my bearings, tuning Lance's voice out. All I'm paying attention to is my reflection and what I look like, because my hair's gone completely pure white.  
I frown, pulling at a lock of it - I look like a fucking Altean. I miss my blond hair already.

"Like I said, they're at a village right now. I'm going to take you to Coran and then I'll catch up to them." He pats me on the back, seeing my expression. "Is, uh...that okay with you?"

"Oh! Um, yeah, sure. Coran's the one with the moustache, right?" I shake my previous shock away, looking up at Lance.

"I'd really prefer a better adjective," says a familiar voice, and I realise we've arrived at the bridge.

Coran himself flits about the control panel, not even giving me a second glance as we walk in. "You know, like 'Coran, Coran, the Gorgeous Man'. Something like that."

"Not gonna happen, dude." Lance leans against the doorway, looking between us. "Anyway, this is Coran, he's an Altean, Allura's royal advisor, all that jazz."

"All that jazz indeed," he says wisely. I realise he's somehow moved from the front of the bridge to right in front of me - inspecting me closely, pinching my cheek and poking my sides, and I try to take the torture with a grain of salt. "Mhm, mhm, looks like you're in tip-top shape for a human, a little on the skinny side, but that's fine..." He pushes his way into my personal bubble, his moustache brushing my nose. "Your name?"

"Uh..." I blink. "It's...Jaden?"

"Jaden, is it? Good, good. Now, I can't really talk much, I've got a castle to fix - but I am rather good at multitasking, so feel free to explain to me how you made your way into the Castle, mmkay?" Coran waves a hand dismissively. "Number Three, can you go and make sure the the princess hasn't been mauled by a pack of Arusians?"

"They're tiny, Coran, they couldn't overpower Pidge." Lance pats my head as he turns to leave, the door sliding shut behind him. "Have fun, dude. I'm taking Blue to the village."

"Uh...okay, so..." I give the Altean advisor a pained glance. "I...actually don't even know how I got here, so...did someone else find me outside or...?"

"Negative, m'boy - I believe Number Five came across you in the lounge last night. Said you just fell out of the ceiling in some type of portal! Very strange occurence, you see, so the princess has requested some physical tests to be done on you when all of the paladins get back - but yes, Pidge found you injured and unconscious, so we just popped you into one of those good old healing pods and whoop-dee-do, you're good as new!"

I lifted my shirt and touched a pale fingertip to my ribs, which were completely free of bruises or cuts. "Wait, what sort of injuries are we talking? Because I can't see or feel anything here."

Coran pulls his head out from underneath the control panel, pausing his repairs to look at my side. "Well, yes, that's sort of the point. I'd be more worried if there were any lasting injuries, since the healing pods are meant to heal. It's in the name, you see - but yes, I believe you had..." He counts on his fingers. "Three broken ribs, and quite a few cuts. Oh, your skull was fractured as well."

Why is it that he waits to reveal the most serious thing until last? "Guess I was pretty fucked up then."

"You could say that, yes."

"Right, got it..." I find myself sighing as Coran pokes his head back under. We're silent for a few moments before I pipe up, "Do you know where my bag is?"

"Bag?"

I cough. "I'm sure I had one with me. It was black."

"Oh, of course, yes-" Coran waves a hand at the other side of the room. "Over there. Nothing of interest in it, apart from a couple of 'notebooks'. Really, I’d like to know why you humans still use flattened tree sap, of all things-"

There's a deafening alarm, making the room flash red, black, red, black - and Coran screeches.

"I'm afraid that explanation will have to wait! Princess Allura requires me at the village-"

"W-wait!" I grab at his shoulder when he moves to leave. "I can help, with whatever it is! Just tell me what to do!"

"Well, I suppose I can't exactly leave you in the Castle on your own..." He strokes his moustache for a moment before pushing me through the doors from behind. "Yes, yes, you should be most helpful! Make haste, if you please!"

And with that, I'm shoved into one of the smaller ships with Coran to go and herd the Arusians into their caves.  
This is going to be fun, I think, smirking as we take off. A front row seat to Voltron? Sign me the fuck up!


	2. ii | I’m Attacked By An Off-Brand Power Ranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everyone is excited at the prospect of Jaden being in the Castle, he finds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this being shorter! I’ll admit my writing seems a little flat in this chapter, but enjoy anyway!  
> ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

[Jaden]

Allura doesn't trust me.

I can tell the second she sees me, bright eyes suddenly dimming with suspicion as they rest on my figure. Everything about her expression just screams "you're not meant to be here" - which, yeah, is true, but still.

 _I really should've paid more attention to her earlier in Season 1 and 2,_ I think, ushering a couple of Arusians into the caves.

"Thank you for your help."

I turn. Allura is giving me a painfully forced smile, but it falters quickly. "You're human, correct?"

"Yeah. My name's Jaden." I give her a short bow in return, grinning as best I can.

Allura's not smiling back anymore, only watching me with a reproachful azure gaze that gets colder and darker every second. "Princess Allura of Altea."

And that's it. She doesn't spare me another glance, not during Voltron's fight, not on the ride back to the castle (on which I'm awkwardly sitting cross-legged behind Coran, who's belting out lyrics to some Altean song), not when we finally arrive at the entrance, walls of the ship gleaming bright white in the sunlight, and certainly not when she leaves me and Coran to go on our own to the bridge.

Great. So the princess seriously doesn't trust me right now. I really regret not rewatching this damn series when I could - it wouldn't have hurt, if only to get a better idea of how to make my way over to her good side. Or maybe just her 'not-bad' side. I'd even settle for her 'I-barely-know-this-person-exists-and-will-not-pay-attention-to-them' side. Then I perk up suddenly, an idea sparking to life.

"Coran, do you think I could get my bag now?"

"Yes, yes, it shouldn't be a problem - yes, there we are."

He scoops up my bag and hands it to me, and when I dig my wrist into the main pocket, sure enough, my phone is still there - and it's not charged. Great.

Wait. Pidge can hack. Shit, Pidge can hack, and although my phone's probably the most primitive thing she'd see in her life, I need to hide or smash this thing quickly if I don't want her to hack in and find Netflix streaming the paladins' lives in high definition. I stuff it back in there, making sure Coran hasn't seen anything, and quietly excuse myself from the room.

【✮】

The Castle of Lions is only a few corridors short of a maze. Everything looks the same - high white walls and ceilings, teal lights, and whenever I turned a corner I only saw more fucking hallways. I'm serious. I know it might seem a lot easier to navigate a castle when you've watched not-quite-fictional characters flounce about in it for six seasons, but it’s definitely not.

While walking, I take the time to go over my current options and figure out my next. My introduction to Lance - successful. My introduction to Coran - successful. My introduction to Allura? Not so much, but there's always time to make a better impression.

The other paladins were cause for concern. Hunk and Pidge shouldn't be too difficult, I suppose, as long as Lance thought I was okay - although Pidge might be a little more than intrigued as to how I found myself falling out of the ceiling. Hunk's sunny personality wouldn't be too hard to worm my way around...although if he was scared of me, that could be a little more difficult. Maybe if I agreed with him when I could, that’d give him more reason to trust me?

I frown at the thought of the remaining members. Considering Shiro's Season 1 temperament, he seemed to be pretty protective over the team, so I could have a little trouble gaining his trust. If I made myself out to be harmless it may be easier, but he'd still be cautious of me so I'd have to be careful.

And the last one was...Keith. Right. The loner, and also the most distrustful - saying the wrong thing around him would be like stepping on a landmine. It'd be worthy of an Olympic medal if I ever got him to be in the same room as me, let alone be okay with me walking around the Castle.

"Early 2000s emo looking ass bitch," I find myself muttering, my gaze cast downwards towards the floor. I break into a half-run, moving through the hallways until I round a corner and-

"Jaden-!"

-smack straight into Lance.

"Ow, ow, ow..." I rub the back of my head, hoping that my idiocy didn't cost me any permanent brain damage. "Sorry about that, Lance."

He shrugs, grinning slightly. "Hey, no big deal. Just try not doing that to Keith."

"Ah, yeah...Lucky I haven't run into him yet. Coran and the princess gave me a ride back here, but I haven't seen anyone else so far."

"Oh, really?" Lance says, placing a hand on his hip. "I was actually going to hang out with Pidge for a while. You should come with! It'd be good to get to know you better."

I bite my lip. "Oh...I would say yes, but wouldn't sh - I mean, he be...you know. Weird about it? I don't want to intrude-"

"Nah, he’s my friend!" He's pulling me along the corridor by my arm now. "It's totally fine, just stick with me and you'll fit in great."

"Only if you're sure I won't get pummelled by that Keith guy."

"Don't worry about him, he's on the training deck with Shiro. Oh, yeah. We have a training deck, by the way."

He throws open the door with a beaming grin.

"What's crack-a-lackin', Pidge?"

"Say that again and I'll throw you to the Galra myself," Pidge threatens, slamming down her cup. Some of the liquid sloshes over the edge, splashing near my shoe and revealing its off-putting neon blue colour.

"Can't do that right now, I'm giving our new friend here a tour," Lance sings. The green paladin's head shoots up, golden eyes striking me with a hard stare.

"You're awake?" She raises an eyebrow.

"Unfortunately."

"Hey, hey, none of that." Lance flicks the back of my head hard. "This is Pidge, he's the one that found you. Pidge, meet Jaden...for the second time. Only he's not unconscious right now, so - yay for actual introductions!"

"Aha, um..." I rub the back of my head where Lance flicked it with one hand, and shyly hold the other one out to Pidge. "It's nice to meet you, Pidge."

She makes an odd sound, a mix of a snort of laughter and an indignant huff.

"You too. Next time you enter a room maybe try the door and not the ceiling."

"I'll keep that in mind next time." The two of us share a sly grin before shaking hands.

Pidge has calloused fingers, her hand brushing against mine with surprising roughness. I stare down at the difference in our hands for a moment.

There's a long, white scar on her thumb's knuckle, that leads almost down to her wrist, and a cute little freckle on her index finger.

I realise that I'm staring and quickly pull my hand away, chuckling nervously. "Sorry. I spaced out for a second."

Lance just shrugs.

"Anyway, where's Hunk?" He inquires.

"Helping out Allura with the party. She invited the Arusians to see the inside of the castle tonight."

Lance's eyes go wide with horror. "Tonight!? Oh, come on! She could've at least given us a little forewarning! Oh my god, I haven't even gotten round to my skincare routine today, I feel so gross-"

"Lance, you can go a day without moisturising and exfoliating and whatever other skin voodoo you get round to in that bathroom," Pidge says. "You're making the rest of us look bad."

Lance blows a raspberry at her. "You shut up. I mean, yeah, my beautiful face does put you guys to shame, but don't be mad about it. It's just part of my charm! And I mean, come on, I'm sure you could get girls or boys if you really wanted to. There's gotta be someone that likes nerds."

Pidge then deadpans, her eyes dark. "I'm not really interested in dating right now, Lance."

"That's what you said back at the Garrison."

"And my point still stands."

"Jaden, you know what I'm talking about, right!"

I pale at Lance's attention being suddenly directed at me.

"Uh, what?"

"Dating! I'm sure there's some girl that's into you. I mean, you've got nice-ish skin, eyes, a-“

"A bad dye job?" A new voice interrupts.

I whirl round to see the one and only Keith Kogane, eyes cold and dark. "Mind explaining why our prisoner's just walking around freely?" He demands, moving closer, hand on his bayard.

"I-" I swallow, tightening my grip on my bag's strap. This was not how I wanted things to go. "I, uh..."

"He's not a prisoner," Lance protests.

The red paladin's tone is pure ice, leaving no room for argument. "He needs to be locked up."

"Kinky," I blurt, and immediately regret it.

Keith glares at me, which actually makes me freeze up, because holy shit - his glare is a lot more intense than the show gave him credit for. The stare lasts only a few ticks, before everything happens at once.

Keith draws his bayard as his sword and comes barrelling towards me, and I only just make it out of the way when he starts his assault yet again. His movements are quick, and I know if I was pitted against him in strength I'd never win - but this isn't a battle of strength. It's just Keith attempting to get me under his control, whether I like it or not. I don't, as a matter of fact.

I'm not strong or trained in martial arts. I never went out of my way for any sports, I never tried because I knew I'd drop it within a few weeks like most other hobbies. But sixteen years of living as a skinny, small kid wandering around an admittedly shady town made me an easy target for petty gang beatings until I learned two things.

"Stay still, damnit," Keith growls, his teeth gritted, but I shut whatever he's saying out and focus on not letting him touch me - dodging, slipping just out of reach.

Rule one - if you just keep fighting, you'll never win. That's more amusement for the people you're stacked against - it might seem like you're trying to be brave at the time, but being labelled as chivalrous isn't worth shit when you have a black eye and two broken ribs. Get out of a fight when you've got the chance.

I slide behind Keith's shoulder, his blade nicking my cheek with a harsh sting, and from his horrified expression it seems like he didn't mean to do that. I grimace and wipe the seeping blood from my face, then stare at him by way of an obvious challenge: 'What are you going to do?'

Rule number two - if you really have no choice, fight dirty. Pull hair. Go for eyes, mouths, places where the sun doesn't shine. Anything that's a weak spot - because there's no rules where fighting's concerned, and especially not in certain situations. While it might not necessarily win you the battle, it'll certainly leave the other guy with a scratch or two, which is a blow to his pride at the very least.

This is a Rule One sort of situation. If I want Keith to trust me, that is. I hold myself in place - Keith lunges towards me, sword in hand, the tip just brushing my throat.

"Nice to meet you," I croak, trying desperately to keep my voice steady.

"What the quiznack, Keith?" Lance wrenches him away from me, and I exhale, touching a hand to my cheek. "What's with you?!"

"He's practically a ticking time bomb," Keith snarls, hand not leaving his bayard. "We don't know who he is, we don't know how he got here - we don't even know if he's human."

"Does he look alien to you!?"

"Does Allura?"

"...touché. But still-" Lance pats my head in protest- "he's gotta be, what, thirteen? It's not like he can cause much damage to anything."

I bristle. "I'm sixteen!"

"Okay, sixteen, thirteen, ten, whatever. The point is, Coran didn't find any weapons on you, you're probably harmless. Probably."

"I still don't like this," he says, eyeing me with a dark glare. "We shouldn't be letting him bounce around wherever he wants like this."

Lance only keeps a firm hand on my hair, fingers curling inwards.

"He's got both Lance and Pidge watching over him. Jaden's fine for now."

It's Shiro. I stiffen and snap my hands to my sides as he enters, Galra hand gleaming silver. I know he doesn't mean any harm - but seeing him in person is intimidating at the very least, and terrifying at the most. Hunk trails behind him, quivering like a leaf at the sight of me.

"Okay, so. We're letting him go free." He swallows. "That's fine. That's great."

"Um...hi there." I give him a small smile, which he returns with a pained grimace.

"All of you need to calm down," Shiro says seriously. "Jaden, you need to understand that this is a...very unusual situation for all of us."

"I already explained it to him," Lance pipes up, fingers still resting in my hair. I jerk my head away abruptly to stand up straight.

"I, uh, well - yeah, Lance already explained things to me," I mumble. "The, uh - the alien thing. Yes." I've got an amazing way with words, if you couldn't tell, dear reader.

"That's good. Thank you, Lance," the leader replies, smiling. His expression leaves me feeling a little less agitated. "Saves me the trouble. But regardless, Keith - I know you don’t like this.”

“No shit.”

“I think maybe Jaden’s a little reluctant about this too,” he says gently, “so if you could just bear it for a little longer until we can figure out what to do, that’d make this a lot easier. For everyone,” Shiro adds after a short pause.

Keith tosses an irritated glare my way, clicking his tongue before speaking.

“I won’t pretend to be friends with you,” he mutters. “I’ll put up with Jaden for tonight, but that’s it. After the party, tomorrow we have a team meeting to decide what to do.”

Shiro nods, and we make our way down to the hall, Lance still complaining about his skin care.

【✮】

Okay, so - first thing you need to know about alien parties is not to try the drinks. I know that's probably a given, but I'm a tired dumbass that refuses to listen to other people and that's what got me on this situation.

Lance is right. Nunvill does taste like hot dog water and feet and were it possible I would rip out my tongue right now, because despite his review I ended up tasting it anyway. I eye him with a smirk as he fails to get Keith to do the signature 'Voltron' chant.

"I say Vol, and you say Tron! Vol?"

"...Vol...tron?" Keith tries.

"No! No, no, no, no, no. The cheer includes the instructions. I say 'Vol' and you say..."

"...Voltron?"

"We'll work on it," he mutters.

Keith shrugs at Hunk, and I bite back a snort as Lance spits out the alien drink.

"Coran, what is this?" 

He takes a sip. "Oh, this is Nunvill, the nectar of the gods."

"It tastes like hot dog water and feet." Lance retches.

"Yeah, makes a wonderful hair tonic as well." I tag along in Coran's shadow, who sprinkles a few drops of Nunvill on his moustache to make it grow slightly.

"Not feeling well?" He asks, seeing Shiro at the side. "Try some Nunvill. Settles the stomach and brightens your smile."

"I'm not sure we should be letting everyone wander in and out of the Castle like this," Shiro mutters. "It doesn't seem safe."

"Oh, these Arusians won't hurt anything...Much." Coran cringes as two Arusians fly past on a tray of food and crashed it. "Besides, it's only fair to let them see the inside of a Castle that's been sitting on their planet for so long."

"But who knows when the Galra will attack again? I'm going to do a perimeter check, just in case."

"I'll come with you," I volunteer, jogging to Shiro's side.

Outside the castle is surprisingly quiet. Without any music playing back at the main hall, there are few disturbances, only an occasional Arusian coming in or out.

"Parties not your thing?" Shiro asks.

"Nope. I was just sort of drifting around anyway, so..."

The black paladin stares at me with an odd expression for a moment before speaking. "Jaden, I'd like to ask you something."

"Mhm, shoot."

"What's your life like back on Earth?"

Out of all the things I expected him to ask me, that wasn't one of them, and - god, what was I supposed to say?

"You mean what was my life like," I mutter, then blanch as I realise I said that out loud. Shiro's brow furrows.

"Jaden, what do you mean?"

"I died." Seeing his horrified expression, I smile weakly and continue. "Or - I think I did. The last thing I remember is being hit by a...a truck. And it was really dark for a while, and then..." I trail off. Shiro finishes for me.

"You woke up from the healing pod." He fixes me with a pitiful gaze. “Jaden, I...I’m so sorry. If we could send you back-“

"Don't worry about it," I interrupt, chirping as brightly as I can. "I might not be a badass pilot or cool alien, but if I'm not going home I'll make the most of it. Even if Keith-“

“Keith’s just being cautious,” Shiro says gently. “We all are.”

Shiro looks like he's about to say something else, his eyes lingering on me for a moment, but then he's cut off.

"Shiro?" The both of us turn to Pidge, who looks up to the leader with an unreadable expression. "I need to talk to you."  
  


【✮】

"Pidge, no...!"

I stand to the side with a neutral expression, watching the paladins fight as they were supposed to. Luckily my being with Shiro hasn't changed anything obvious so far.

"The download from the Galra ship was enough to at least get me in the right direction to start my search. I have a pod all ready to go."

"You can't leave!" Keith hisses.

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"If you leave, we can't form Voltron. And that means we can't defend the universe against Zarkon. You're not the only one with a family," he retorts. "All these Arusians have families. Everyone in the universe has families."

"Yeah, I have a family," Hunk mumbles. "They live on Earth. I want to be with them. Is that—Is that, like, a thing that can happen?"

"You want to leave, too?" Allura says in disbelief.

"Of course I do," Hunk says. "Look, Voltron is super-cool, don't get me wrong, but I never signed up for a lifetime in space fighting aliens."

"You're putting the lives of two people over the lives of everyone else in the galaxy-!"

"Keith—!" Shiro holds a tight grip on Keith's arm, giving him a stern look. "That's not how a team works. People have to want to be a part of it. They can't be forced."

Keith only steps back in a bitter silence.

"If you want to leave, we won't try to stop you," Shiro says. "But, please, just think about what you're doing."

"I'm sorry. You're going to have to find someone else to pilot the Green Lion."

"I can't believe it," Allura murmurs as Pidge walks away, Rover by her side. "This team is falling apart. How will we ever form Voltron?"

I fold my arms, letting the argument proceed into senseless chatter without interfering. And, three, two, one...

A deafening eruption falls from above. The Arusian mass runs for cover, and the whole thing is a lot more chaotic than the cartoon animation gives it credit for - aliens screaming, crying, scrambling to get away. Not to my surprise, Keith runs off up the stairs first, the rest of us not far behind.

"What happened?!" Shiro demands.

"Ugh... I'm not sure," Coran whispers.

"The Crystal!" Allura gasps. And then her eyes rest on Lance's unconscious body, lying limp on the floor. "Lance!"

"Lance...? Lance!"

"We have to get him to the infirmary!" Pidge shouts.

"Without the Crystal, the Castle has no power."

"He doesn't look good," Shiro murmurs, cradling Lance in his arms.

And as if by magic, the Arusian king shows up too, waving his pathetic little stick arms around and wailing.

"Lion warriors, our village is under attack! We need help!"

"Let's get to the Lions!"

"You can't. They're sealed in their hangars," Allura says. "There's no way to get them out. We're defenceless."

"Will you not help us?"

"We'll help you," Keith reassures the Arusian. "We just—"

Lance groans weakly, stiffening in Shiro's grip.

"We have to get a new Crystal to get the Castle working again. But, to get a new Crystal, we need a ship."

"The pod I was loading, we can use that! I left the bay door open," Pidge explains.

"I can use the scanner in the pod to see if there's a nearby Balmera," Coran murmurs. "Hunk, you come with me. I'll need someone big to help me carry the Crystal."

"A Balmera?"

"It's where the Crystals come from. I'll tell you about it on the way!"

"I'll go see what's happening at the Arusian village," Keith said.

"I'll go with you, Keith. I brought this on the poor Arusians," Allura said, giving him a nod.

"I'll stand watch over the Castle," I hear Shiro volunteer, and I grimace as our group thins, leaving only me, Shiro and...

"Jaden, I'll need you to watch over Lance for a minute," Shiro says gently, shaking me out of my daze. "I'm going to take a quick look around, and then I'll come and grab you so we can get out of here. Is that okay with you?"

I nod silently as Shiro places Lance on the floor, and leaves the room to check the corridor. Looking down, I realise how pained he looks, face contorted slightly.

"You okay, buddy?"

Lance only moans in response. I brush his hair to the side, frowning. "Hey, it'll be fine. Shiro's going to be back soon, and then..."

I trail off, realising no, we might not be okay. If Sendak and the other Galra turned up here after fighting Shiro, I wouldn't have any way of defending us...

Wait, no. Shiro was supposed to fight Sendak, but then his other Galra friend was meant to threaten him with Lance, which meant he got distracted and ended up losing - but Lance wasn't with him right now, he was with me!

Shit. I was affecting the storyline more than I had first thought.

 _Please get back here quick, Shiro, so I can make sure everything goes as planned_ , I pray - and then I go still.

I hear the unmistakable click of footsteps coming down the corridor, and tighten my grip on Lance as the door slides open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jaden, babe, my son, I love you, but you’re a dumbass. Don’t drink hot dog water, kids.
> 
> Also, I did a piece of art for this chapter, so if you want to see it follow the link below! I’ve got a few screenshot edits in progress too, but they’re a bit spoilery, so you probably won’t be seeing them for a while.
> 
> https://requiemvld.tumblr.com/post/619538685576265728
> 
> Look at my son!! This is his outfit for now, although I forgot his bag. He looks so grumpy.
> 
> Stay safe! (о´∀`о)

**Author's Note:**

> and that concludes the first chapter! this ended up being shorter than i intended, but I hope four-thousand-and-something words is enough? if people think the chapters should be longer i’ll do that, though!  
> this is VERY self indulgent, by the way. i know it might seem like a typical generic self-insert fic but i’m aiming for jaden to actually greatly affect the storyline and world around him! (and besides, we all know s8’s ending was bs, so this is partly fix-it fic to do some characters justice as well haha)  
> i’m also pretty new to ao3, so if there’s anything i’ve done wrong please feel free to let me know (*´꒳`*)


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